Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has announced a multi million pound cash injection to improve the health of more than 880 English lakes, streams and other water bodies, bringing more otters, salmon and other fish back to our rivers.
“The health of our rivers has come along in leaps and bounds, but we still see nasty invasive weeds and lifeless waters blight blue spaces in cities and across our countryside” she commented. “With this funding, we’ll help all our waterways and streams thrive by tackling problems that until now have been sitting in the ‘too hard’ basket. Our new grass-roots approach to boosting healthier waterways and flourishing wildlife has local experience and knowledge at its heart.”
£92 million will be provided over the next four years to remove non-native invasive weeds and animals, clear up pollution, and remove redundant dams, weirs, landings and other man-made structures so that wildlife can thrive.
Ralph Underhill, co-ordinator of the Our Rivers campaign, which is backed by the RSPB, WWF-UK, the Angling Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association, added “This new funding may not solve all the problems overnight but it is a significant step towards securing the future of the river environment in England and Wales, which is under great pressure from a variety of threats including pollution and abstraction. Rivers are a national asset and in the current financial climate it is great to see a new investment in their future.”
It’s a welcome boost for England’s waterways and wildlife, hopefully putting an end to the all-too-common sight of choked rivers and polluted ponds.
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Hi and welcome. I'm a freelance travel and lifestyle copywriter and editor, with a passion for the great outdoors. This is my personal blog all about getting out in the fresh air and reconnecting with our green spaces and countryside.
